ROME, April 28 Italy and Austria on Thursday
played down tensions that flared after Austria said it might
reintroduce border controls at the Alpine Brenner pass to keep
migrants from coming from Italy.

A day after Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said
Austria’s announced plans to build a fence at Brenner was
“shamelessly against European rules”, Austria’s new Interior
Minister Wolfgang Sobotka said he had come to Italy “to calm
tempers”.

Both Italy and Austria are members of the European Union’s
Schengen open-border zone, but free movement has been
jeopardised by the reimposition of controls at some key
crossings by countries affected by the migrant influx.

“There will be no wall,” Sobotka told reporters after
meeting his counterpart Angelino Alfano. “If and only if it is
necessary will we introduce more controls (at Brenner) by
slowing traffic and trains … but circulation will be
guaranteed.”

Any toughening of border controls at the Brenner Pass would
slow traffic on